Community Foundation of St. Clair County has already granted out almost $1.3 million so far in 2024. The grant funds come from a variety of individual endowed funds, donor advised funds, and standing grantmaking committees.  

Sarah Jones, Executive Director of Mid-City Nutrition, which runs the region’s largest soup kitchen, knows first-hand how important the Community Foundation funding has become. “We were fortunate to receive multiple grants from the Foundation and their donors last year,” she said. “But the need we’re seeing hasn’t diminished at all. The Community Foundation has become one of our largest cash donors.”   

Jones recently met with the Foundation’s Main Grants Committee to ask for another $30,000 in funding. Her request was approved with partial funding coming from the James C. Acheson Donor Advised Fund.

Lindsey Adams-Fitchett is the Chair of the Foundation’s Main Grants Committee. “There is never enough funds available for basic needs,” she said. “But we’re blessed to have endowed funds as well as individual donors who will join our efforts at funding our most trusted local nonprofits such as Mid-City.”

The Foundation has also provided grant funding for food backpack programs for Memphis and Port Huron Schools, along with Woodland Developmental Center.       

Through late April the Foundation approved 148 individual grants which are supporting a wide range of programs, projects and organizations throughout the region. Other grant highlights include;

• $10,000 for artwork in a new pocket park in Capac, with funding coming from the DTE Foundation Fund
• $45,000 for a range of tutoring and SAT prep support to the Athletic Factory
• $8,000 to the Blue Water Area Robotics Alliance to support teams going to State’s
• $3,000 to the Port Huron Police Department Youth Academy
• $7,575 for the Blue Water Building Trades Fair
• $10,290 for the new Belle River Fishing Pier in Marine City
• $40,000 to Yale High School for extra-curricular student activities from the DuPont Fund
• $5,000 to the Port Huron DDA for a new Blue Water Fest Kid Zone activity during Boat Week
• $21,000 to the City of St. Clair for beautification projects from the Ernest & Barbara Oskin fund
• $24,000 to the Friends of the St. Clair River for their management and oversight of regional efforts to complete the remaining gaps in the Bridge to Bay Trail system

Patti Manley is the Board Chair of the Foundation. “The grants already this year reflect the amazing diversity and interests of our donors,” she said. “This variety spread throughout our region is what makes our work so exciting.” 

Manley added that the Foundation continues to accept grant applications throughout the year, although many of its standing committees tend to run out of funds by late summer. “When standing committees are out of available grant funds, our staff sends new requests on to our individual donors,” she said. 

For information on how to apply for funds from the Community Foundation, visit StClairFoundation.Org.